Green eyes
by GodofAllCats
Summary: Rikka had appeared out of nowhere in Zuko's life, but always stuck by him. When Zuko is banished, he leaves Rikka behind, but for some reason it always felt like her green eyes followed him, keeping both him, and his Uncle out of much more serious trouble. Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N: Hey guys, this is my first fanfiction on this account, and my first A:tla fic. So I hope you all enjoy and feel free to review ^.^ also, I've written this on my iPad, so there might be some mistakes, if so, please let me know!)**

Rikka sat beneath the over-hanging tree, a blood orange cupped in her small, chubby hands. The six year old looked at it confused, they never had such strange fruit back in the Earth Kingdom. Turning the fruit back and forth, and tossing it from hand to hand, Rikka pulled a disgusted face, her nose scrunching up. A laugh came from behind a tree, it small, and sounded almost involuntary, Rikka jumped, dropping the fruit from her hands.

"Who's there?" She called out, quickly standing and brushing down the new Fire Nation robes she had been given once she had arrived at the palace. The laughter stifled quickly, Rikka glanced around, the only sounds were the soft quacking of the turtle-ducks in the pond near-by. "I mean it," she breathes out in fear, "I will burn you if I have too!" The threat was clearly empty, but it was enough for someone to shuffle behind the tree, and then slowly step out. He was small, she noted, but taller than she was. His amber eyes sparkled with childhood bliss, and his face in a small, mischiefs smile. He bend down, some of his hair falling in his pale face, and scooped up the blood orange from the grass, and brushed it against his red shirt before handing it ack to her.

"You shouldn't waste these, you know, they are considered a delicacy." He explained, Rikka still looked at it in a funny way, cocking her head at it and crinkling her nose.

"It doesn't _feel _or lookright, why would you eat it?" Rikka asked the boy, taking the blood orange from his hand, and once again turning it in her hands like some queer object. The boy looked at her confused.

"Well," the boy reasoned, "you look a little odd too," he gestured to Rikka's bright green eyes that she had inherited from her father, "but that doesn't mean people should treat you different." Rikka heard him, but her eyes were still heavily focused on the blood orange in her hand. The boy, finally recognising her confused look, gave a sudden intake of realisation. "You've never had a blood orange before?" He asked, stepping a little closer to Rikka. Rikka shook her head, closing her dark hair, that was half up, and half down, to brush against her back.

"No, they don't sell them where I'm from," she whispered, a little shyly. The boy, however took no notice of her now quiet tone, and very carefully plucked the orange from her hand.

"That's okay, let me show you," he told her softly, now standing beside Rikka, the orange in his left hand, and his right thumb piercing into the skin. "First you peel it, see, just like this," he showed her, peeling the orange slowly so that Rikka could follow his movements. Once the orange skin was gone, the orange was now a dark red, almost like everything in the Fire Nation. The boy carefully separated a single section, and handed it to Rikka, "try a piece." He told her, Rikka nodded, and took the single red piece. The boy watched as Rikka placed the piece in her mouth, and her eyes widened at the sweet taste that exploded on the tip of her tongue. She looked at the boy in wonderment, as he laughed, and placed a slice in his mouth.

"That tastes amazing!" Rikka exclaimed once she had finished her small piece, her eyes turning towards the basket that had sat beside her under the tree, she then turned to the boy and smiles brightly. "Would you like to share the rest of my lunch? A nice lady made me it, but I don't know what a lot of the food is..." Rikka admitted, wringing her hands together embarrassed, the boy glanced at the basket, then the blood orange in his hands.

"Do you have anymore of these?" He asked, holding up the orange. Rikka nodded her head and he beamed at her. "Sure! But don't tell my sister." He warned as both children moved towards the basket, and sat down on the soft grass under the tree.

"You have a sister?" Rikka asked him as she pulled out a thick loaf of bread and halving it between them. The boy took the bread a nodded his head as he took a bite. "What's she like?" Rikka asked, nibbling on her own bread. The boy gulped and pulled a face.

"Azula? She's not really nice, she can be really mean but my father doesn't see it. Azula is a prodigy." He stated this as if it were matter-of-fact, and nobody could argue this fact. Rikka drew her brows together.

"A what?" She didn't know what the word meant, and clearly neither did the boy who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, but I think it has something to do with the fact she's a really really good firebender." At this statement, Rikka's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Your sister can firebend? That's so cool!" Rikka easily celebrated this girls praises, to her anybody who could firebend was amazing in her eyes. The boy narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's not really, I mean, a lot of people in the Fire Nation can firebend, it's not like it's something unheard of," he took another large bite of the bread. "Even I can firebend, although I'm not as good as Az-"

"You can firebend?!" Rikka interrupted, her face now alight with curiously and whatever wisdom this boy held. Once again he shrugged, finishing the bread. "Can you show me?" Rikka questioned, the boy looked at her bewildered.

"I can't, I told you I'm not that good." The boy told her, Rikka puffed out her cheek a bit annoyed.

"That's sad," she pouted as she looked around the garden, "it would be fun to see another person bend fire," she admitted. The boy looked at her quizzically.

"Another?" He poised the question with a hint of interest, Rikka nodded her head vigorously, now her eyes alight with a secret.

"You have to promise not to tell, but I'm a -"

"Zuko? Zuko, are you out here?" The voice was a man's voice was easily detectable to Rikka's ears. She instantly froze as the boy, she now guessed was called Zuko, shot to his feet. A large grin plastered on his face.

"Lu Ten!" He shouted with much joy, then he turned to Rikka and held out his hand. "Come on, you have to meet Lu Ten, he's the greatest cousin ever! But also, he's a soldier!" Rikka blinked, and then nodded. She took Zuko's hand, and allowed him to lead her along the garden and towards a walk way, half indoors and half out, large pillars keeping the roof up. A young man stood there, his eyes following the two children who ran towards him, Zuko keeping at a steady pace, while Rikka stumbled behind him.

"There he is, and - who is that?" He asked as the two children grew closer to him. Drawing to a halt, Zuko let go of Rikka's hand.

"Lu Ten, you're back! We missed you so much, and you've missed a lot! I've got to show you the new firebending forms I learned!" Zuko gushed, his face eager as he told him all his news.

"Well, that's all very interesting, and I hope to hear and see it all. But I'm more curious about your friend," he pointed to Rikka, "she's new, or at least, I think she is."

"Oh," Zuko jumped as he noticed Rikka standing red cheeked beside her. "This is my friend," Zuko said, in way of introduction. Lu Ten chuckled.

"I gathered that, but what's her name?" Zuko looked started at this, then turned to Rikka with drawn brows.

"What _is _your name?" Zuko finally asked, at this Rikka giggled, and gave a small smile.

"Rikka, it's not very pretty." Rikka noted, and Zuko shrugged as Lu Ten simply looked her up and down, a look of realisation dawning on his face.

"So your the Earth Kingdom girl with the Firebending talent. Your smaller than I thought." Lu Ten muttered as he looked Rikka up and down in curiosity.


	2. Chapter 2

_7 years later_

The crowd cheered as Fire Lord Ozai climbed the platform unbeknownst to Zuko. Rikka looked at Iroh, fear clear in her large green eyes. She knew, as well as Iroh knew, that Zuko stood no chance against Ozai. Both Iroh and Rikka watched as both competitors stood, the cloth that adorned their backs floated to the ground. They each looked completely different, despite being father and son. Ozai looked like a great villain king from a children's book, built like he was made to shadow any light. His hair, dark and straight, didn't move an inch. Zuko, who had first looked strong and defiant instantly turned into a child. His beautiful amber eyes widened in fear.

"He's going to die," Rikka whispered pressing a hand to her lips once she uttered the thoughts allowed. Iroh snapped his head towards her.

"Don't say that, Rikka. Hope the spirits keep him safe," he touched her shoulder lightly, but Rikka pulled away, her eyes falling on Zuko as her lips trembled.

"The spirits are no good here, General. Not now, the Fire Nation has upset their land, we need to-"

"Father, please, I'm sorry!" Zuko's pleas cut Rikka like a knife and she felt her heart contract painfully. She had never heard a prince beg, never mind Zuko, who never once fell to his knees and beg for mercy like he did now. Rikka clutched Iroh's arm as Ozai moved ever closer to Zuko. One step at a time like a giant moving towards his prey.

"Get up!" Ozai commanded, but Zuko just shook his head, tears falling down his cheeks. "Get up and fight!" But Zuko didn't listen, instead he stayed on his knees, hands planted flatly to the ground and tears rolling down his face. Rikka didn't look away fast enough.

The fire felt hotter than any other flame she had felt, even from where she was standing, warming her face and causing her green eyes to a burning orange. She could hear Zuko's screams, but the flames were still so thick, she couldn't see him until Ozai had left his attack stance and dispatched the flames, letting them feed hungrily on the burned stage. Zuko writhed in pain, his body curled in on itself and his hands covered his face. Rikka could smell the horrifying stench of burning flesh and hair, Iroh had turned his head, not wanting to see the fate that befell his nephew, but Rikka could see, and it broke her.

"Let my son be your lesson," he shouted to the crowd who has happily seen their prince burned by his father. "I will not tolerate disrespect to any of my generals, especially known in my ear meetings, no matter whose tongue it comes from!" The crowd cheered, all except Rikka and Iroh, even those who Zuko had been kind to cheered to his demise.

Rikka's eyes only glanced slightly from Zuko, to look at Ozai. His stance had changed, he was going to attack again, his son, his boy who was already down. Rikka couldn't stop her reflexes from taking over. From the crowd to the stage it felt like a blur, one moment she was beside Iroh, her heart reaching out to Zuko but unable to do anything, the next, she was up in front of the crowd, facing the flames head on, Zuko behind her. The fire had already left Ozai and was traveling towards Zuko when Rikka had reached the stage, her heart pounded as she made a quick second decision.

There was something about fire from another Firebender that felt unnatural to Rikka. The strength, the smell, even the heat of it. It was powered by emotions, all bending was, but once she took control, the fire was hers. No matter who had sent it her way, even Ozai's fire became her own once she had taken it in her palms. The blast had been meant to kill, Rikka realised as she halted it for just a moment, enough time to separate it around both herself and Zuko, so that it buried itself into the stage, and burned it instead. Rikka felt herself fall to the ground, landing on her left knee so she was now bowing to Ozai, her hair falling into her face as her head bowed.

She could hear the mutters of the crowd as they saw what had happened, Rikka breathed in and out rapidly, trying to regain her breath. Rikka could feel Ozai glare at her, He cleared his throat, an indication for Rikka to rise. She did, her hair falling from her face, revealing her eyes, the only thing that distinguished her from the rest of the Fire Nation. Ozai's face changed from a look of shock to a look of disgust, like she was an insect that had just crawled onto his hand.

"Ah, Rikka," he said in an almost sickening tone. "Unlike my son, you seem to have the guts and the fire power to defy me?" He poised it like a question. But Rikka knew it wasn't, it seemed more like a threat than anything else. She shook her head, although she did want to defy him, it would only lead to her death, and perhaps Zuko's. She had to be careful and tip-toe around the issue at hand.

"No, Fire-Lord Ozai. I wouldn't dare challenge you, but your son, don't you think he has been punished enough? He can't stand." Ozai seemed to contemplate Rikka's words. She took a tender step forward. "Be compassionate, he has been punished enough."

"Very well, take him to the physician. But Rikka, should you interfere in such affairs again, you will take whatever punishment given to you." Ozai warned, Rikka bowed her head.

"Yes, Fire Lord Ozai." Rikka then turned, and moved to Zuko's side. Very gently, she lifted Zuko's arm around her shoulders, and tugged the thirteen year old prince to his feet. He leaned heavily on her, but Rikka didn't dare utter a word of complaint, as she put a secured arm around his waist. "Let's go, Zuko," she whispered gently in his ear, as she turned, she felt Ozai's angered eyes on her.

"Rikka," he spat her name, "what strength you have." He said in a way to scare her, or perhaps to insult her, but Rikka simply laughed, a smile tugged at her lips.

"You know what they say about Earth Kingdom girls, our size is nothing when it comes to our strength."


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N: So this is the last chapter before Rikka is realised in the rest of the world of Avatar, I also regret the fact that Zuko isn't really in this chapter, but I promise there will be more of our dear Prince soon. So please enjoy and feel free to review ^.^)**

_3 years later_

Rikka felt as the lightning pulsed through her, causing screams to irrupt from her mouth as her body shook. Torture had proven the worst of her punishments in the past three years, and each scream that left her mouth caused Azula to grin, and laugh in triumph. Not that the odds were exactly fare. Rikka had been chained up to a wall, her legs and arms pulled out so she was almost star-shaped. Her clothes were torn, and her hair hung in her face as her back touched the cold of the stone wall behind her before arching again in pain.

"Not as strong as you pretend to be!" Azula shouted over yet another bolt of lightning, she stopped then, and blew out a sigh then. "Well, this is more boring than I thought it would be," Rikka could hear Azula walk up to her, her feet echoing off the stone floor. Through her hair, Rikka could see Azula pause in front of her. There was no doubt in Rikka's mind that Azula was beautiful, classically beautiful for a Fire-Nation girl. With all the poise and grace, she walked with such pride, if only she wasn't so cruel, perhaps she would have had a suitor by now, Rikka thought. She felt Azula clasp both her cheeks in her hand, and forcibly turn Rikka's head back and forth.

"I wanted more than just screams, I mean, you did plan to leave your Nation without Father's permission. Haven't we always treated you like family, Rikka? Haven't we been friends?" Rikka just glared, and Azula sighed. "I suppose you can't always weed out the traitors, but you can always have fun when you find them." Rikka lifted her head to watch Azula crouch down, her hands moving strategically fast-

"Princess Azula, the Fire Lord wishes for your presence in the throne room, immediately!" It was a guard, a small man, who was clearly frightened of the fourteen year old girl in front of him. Azula instantly straightened up. She looked at the guard, who by the look on his face, was quite a terrifying look.

"Now? Can't it wait?" It was in that moment that no matter how frightening Azula was, Rikka was reminded of how young she was. The guard quaked.

"Fire Lord Ozai says that it is urgent buisness. I can watch the prisoner." He met Rikka's eyes for the first time, and then quickly looked away, his fully focused on Azula who breathed out annoyed.

"Fine, but if you let anything happen due to your incomptence, I will have you in her place." The guard quipped his agreement to this, and bowed low as Azula walked out the room, slamming the metal door shut behind her. She didn't look back at Rikka once. The guard made sure Azula had left before removing his helmet and running up to Rikka, unchaning her from the wall, so she could fall, non-too-gracefully to the floor.

"Rin, what in the name of Kyoshi are you doing here?" She whispered, now getting a good look at the guard. He was tanned, with grey eyes and dirty finger nails, an Earth-bender she had met in her time in the Fire Nation. Like Rikka he had been taken from his home, unlike Rikka he had been taken for slave-labour.

"Just because we wearFire-Nation clothes, doesn't mean we don't remain loyal to our own. We plan on getting out of here tonight Rikka, and we weren't going to leave you here. We've got a boat and everything, and I know you have a bound with some of them, but, you are our own!" He hoisted Rikka up, balancing her due to the fact she could barely stand. Rikka happily leaned on him.

"I wasn't going to protest, Rin. But are you sure this is wise? Not only am I injured, I'm also the one locked up, not you guys." To Rikka's ears, her own argument was sound, but she knew that to Rin's ears it would sound more rediclous than ever.

Rikka had found him at the age of seven. Her and Zuko had done the typical thing that most children did, and went off exploring. Zuko in all his high and mighty glory decided Rikka was wrong in her sense of direction, and Rikka had thought the same as Zuko, so they split up. It had been a blur of adventure until she found Rin, who had showed her a more colder and cruler side to the Fire Nation, so cold and cruel that Rikka had began to hate the short year of bliss she had lived in the palace.

Now he was here, sneaking her out of the place she had called home for ten years, and down the streets to the ports. The night becoming their friend, even for just a little moment. Once they reached the docks, it was quite apparent that Rin hadn't lied. They had obtained a ship, not a vast one that would cause suspicion, but one that would carry at least ten. Rikka didn't mutter a word about how Rin had managed to do so much, not even while they got onto the ship and took off into the open water.

Xxx

She had lost count of the days, Rikka had sat within her compartment, allowing herself to heal. The electricity that had pulsed through her had left an effect that wasn't just scars, even when she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of blue behind her lids. Azula had been right, Rikka could pretend all she wanted, but she wasn't as strong as she pretended to be. The thin mattress she lay on didn't help matters either.

A loud banging that rattled through the metal of the ship alerted Rikka that there was someone at the door. She groaned as she sat up, gripping her sides painfully as she slid off onto the metal floor and walked, barefooted, towards the door. With great effort, Rikka grabbed hold of the metal door handle, and tugged it open, causing the breath to come out of her slightly. Rin stood out in the warm metal corridor, a pile of clothing in his hand, and an awkward smile on his face.

"Hey there, Rikka. We're about to reach port, and well, your clothes are a bit too red for the Earth Kingdom. We fashioned up some of these, they're Earth Kingdom colours, and with a bit of luck, will make you look like you have money. It'll give you a better chance once you reach Ba Sing Se and get whatever you need to go home." He thrust the clothes forward, and Rikka took them with a smile.

"Thank you, Rin. You have been a great help." Rin gave her another short smile before bowing his head slightly.

"It has been my pleasure," with that he turned a left, leaving Rikka to close the door and walk back into her room. She stripped herself of the red tunic and black trousers she wore, so she stood in only her underwear and bandages. She groaned out in pain as she bent over her bed, and picked up a green kimono, pink blossoms sown into the fabric, Rikka looked it up and down. It had been a long while since she dressed like an actual girl, with a deep breath, she put it on, careful as she tied it neatly enough so she wouldn't fully cause herself too much pain. She then, very slowly walked towards the table with a mirror, her hair still down, she didn't look very lady-like, but she did look less like a Fire-Nation citizen.

"I look like Mother," she breathed out after a moment of realisation.


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: Hi guys!v Sorry for the late update guys, I had a bit of writers block, but hopefully I'll be back in business! To answer some questions, well really, it's the same question, this story is now roughly around book 2, when Zuko and Iroh live in Ba Sing Se. So please enjoy and feel free to review ^.^)**

The smell of ash filled the place that was once a village, but now only a smouldering remembrance. Rikka walked among the area and felt her heart beat rapidly against her chest, the burning rubble stained the edge of her green kimono. Even to her eyes, Rikka knew that whatever had happened to this village was no accident, the armour that produced from half burnt rock supplied at least that information for her. The Fire Nation had claimed another Earth Kingdom village, and the lives of innocent people.

She wondered around like a small child, trying to avoid the bodies of both Fire Nation soldiers and villagers as best as possible, but the charred corpses were almost impossible not to see. Pushing down the lump in her throat, Rikka continued to move, ignoring all logical that told her to run and flee from what she was witnessing, turn around and go a different way, she didn't have to witness what people like her had done.

But Rikka felt responsible for the deaths the soldiers had caused, solely because they were like her, Fire-benders just like she was, and they had attacked her people, Earth Kingdom citizens, again, just as Rikka herself was. How could she not? **CRUNCH.**

Rikka leapt back, her eyes wide, where her foot had been lay, what appeared to be a very beautiful drawing, in a cracked frame. She lent down, and picked up frame, and releasing it from the frame. It was a very accurate drawing, from what she could tell. A man, balancing a small boy on his hip, stood beside a beautiful young woman, cradling a baby in her arms. They smiled up a Rikka, and despite it being a picture, she could tell that their eyes were filled with fierce pride. Her heart thumped harder against her chest, they were familiar strangers to her, like she had seen the couple and the boy before. She prayed to the Spirits that the young family had gotten away safely before folding photo and putting it neatly into the belt of her kimono. Something inside of Rikka wanted to keep the photo, at the very least to give it back to the family if they had lived.

It was then that she heard the hurried footsteps coming from within the trees, and the shouting voices that caused her heart to stop. Rikka wasn't sure if they Fire Nation troops or the villagers returning, either way, she had no time to run and hide. Without much thought, she pulled out the gold hairpiece from her dark hair, and allowed it to tumble down her back, throwing it a little away from herself, before falling to the ground, and closing her eyes.

She held her breath as she heard the footsteps and voices grow closer to her, so close she could almost make out what they were saying. She hoped that they would walk past her, whether they were her friend or her enemy, that they wouldn't find her and be on their way. It was clear that luck wouldn't be on her side.

"General! There's someone over here," the voice belonged to a man, and her was close to her. She held her breath, hoping to give the pretence that she wasn't breathing. She felt as the man pressed two fingers against her throat. "Sir, she's alive! We've got a survivor!" Rikka cursed her own luck then, she then felt herself being shaken, and she knew that sooner or later she had to open her eyes, especially as the man kept calling to her like she was miles away. Very slowly she opened her eyes, only to be met with a pair of startlingly grey eyes.

"Thank goodness," the man muttered, and very quickly, Rikka glanced the green of his armour, and the hat he wore, an Earth Kingdom soldier, perhaps her luck wasn't as bad as she had first thought.

Xxx

Iroh had been struggling to suppress his smile as he served tea to the few costumers that entered his tea-shop in the early hours of the evening. He couldn't deny the joy that serving tea gave him, and as he walked back to the counter of the Jasmine Dragon, he grinned at Zuko.

"Who would think, that we would have such fortune serving tea?" Iroh called to his nephew, who was placing to small cups of tea, made by Iroh, onto a tray, and taking it over to a young couple who sat facing each other.

"Very lucky, Uncle," Zuko called over to Iroh, as he placed the tea on the table, and smiled charmingly at the young man, as his date wasn't looking at anything but the back of her fan. She seemed far too out of reach for the young man taking her for tea.

"Thank you, Lee." The man said, before glancing at his date. She lowered her fan just slightly, revealing a pair of stunning green eyes. The man grinned and gave a deep sigh. "Lee, I would like you to meet my date," before the man could even say the girls name, she lowered the fan completely, Zuko nearly dropped the tray he was holding.

"Rikka?" Her name slipped from his lips as he struggled to grab hold of the tray. She gave him a sly smile as she placed down her fan, and took a sip of her tea.

"Hello, again." She her voice was barely a whisper.


End file.
